EXCLUSIVE: OMax Prosper Reveals Mavs Mentor, Players He Studies

Dallas Mavericks rookie forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper joined our Mavs Step Back Podcast recently and listed some current NBA players he's molded his game after, including Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam.

One major bright spot of this Dallas Mavericks offseason is what they were able to accomplish in the NBA Draft. Going into the night with just the 10th pick, GM Nico Harrison and company came out with Dereck Lively II at No. 12, Olivier-Maxence Prosper at No. 24 and veteran center Richaun Holmes while also shedding Davis Bertans’ unattractive contract.

Lively spoke with DallasBasketball.com earlier this summer on a number of different topics, including former Mavs champion Tyson Chandler taking Lively under his wing and mentoring him.

On the latest episode of the Mavs Step Back Podcast, Lively’s first-round rookie running mate, Prosper, joined us for a 20-minute interview and revealed several players, both former and current, who are having a positive impact in his development.

“If I think of former [Mavs] players, I'd say probably Michael Finley," Prosper said. "He's around a lot. He was another wing back in the day, so he's giving me a lot of pointers. If I had to point out a former player, I'd say him. He's been very helpful."

Chandler helping out Lively and Michael Finely sharing his knowledge with Prosper? It can’t get much better than that for Mavs fans when looking at the future of this team. Nothing but good things can come from those pairings.

"In terms of looking up to [players]? I mean, I grew up a LeBron [James] fan ... looking up to, I would say him," Prosper said. "Model my game after ... I try to take bits and pieces from different players."

Those ‘different players’ Prosper goes on to mention fall into a specific category: two-way guys who can run the floor and set the pace.

"A guy that I really like the way he plays is Mikal Bridges. I like the way he plays, a two-way player, you know, can knock down the open shots, push in transition with his length and size," Prosper said.

"Guys like Pascal [Siakam] growing up too, watching him play for the Raptors, I like that a lot. I'm just trying to take bits and pieces from every player and become the most complete player I can be overall. But [I’m] starting as being a guy that can be a two-way player and play on both sides of the ball, defend the best [opposing] player. And then a guy that can push the ball and knock down open shots and make the right play."

Prosper is the type of two-way wing the Mavs have desperately needed on the roster since the departure of Dorian Finney-Smith in the Kyrie Irving trade earlier this year. However, due to his handles, shot-making abilities and natural defensive talent at just 21 years old, Prosper’s potential is a lot higher than Finney-Smith’s was when he joined the Mavs as a 23-year-old undrafted free agent in 2016.

If Prosper can end up being a player closer to the talent level of Siakam, Bridges or Finely, the Mavs will be title contenders for years to come with four-time All-NBA First Teamer Luka Doncic leading the charge.

The NBA Summer League in Las Vegas gave us a glimpse at what kind of impact Prosper could have during his rookie season, as he averaged 12.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 25.4 minutes per game while making several positive plays on defense. That kind of production could be viewed as a best-case scenario for his rookie season if he’s able to get those kind of minutes.

Although he’s a rookie with plenty of room to grow, the expectation is that Prosper will be able to contribute as consistent part of coach Jason Kidd’s rotation from Day 1. With training camps just a little over a month away, it won’t be long before Prosper can start earning his minutes.

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